Don't want to confuse you...but many brokers calculate day trading performance bonds differently because they do not man a night desk.

DayTrading performance bonds can be reduced to as low as $400.00/contract on the ES if traded during RTH. But the CME considers a session for open to close which is 15:30-15:15 next day. Its when you carry from one trading session into the next trading session that the full performance bond should be required. There are a few brokers who do not observe this for the reason I stated above and only allow daytrading performance bonds from 9:30est- 16:00 est or 16:15 est.

Michael B.

P.S. also control how your candlesticks are beginning and ending and understand it...(especially if you use lagging indicators)

One more thing Bourbon....Contracts do end and you must roll them over every three months..(but then there is continuious data available on some of the charting platforms, so that you can seemlessly test and/or scroll through)